The Second Sekirei Plan
by Always Confident Mask Wearer
Summary: This is the start of my new stroy The Second Sekirei Plan, that I plan to make considerably long. Shika is a Sekirei that refuses to find an Ashikabe becuase of her powers, but what happens when she meets the one person that isn't effected by them? Follow Shika during her journey throught the Second Sekirei plan! I hope to make this a long story, but it'll be my first so be warned!
1. Chapter 1

**Hola! I'm Confident and I've decided to write my OWN Sekirei story! At first, I was mad because that was the only thing that showed up on the Sekirei fandom. But, after reading an on-going fan fiction (named Pewdie the Bully [if you have a craving for PewdieCry with love, drama, and you're willing to wait for the quickly coming chapters, then I'd recommend it to you]) I decided to try my own hand at a long story. It'll be my first, so I'll be trying my hardest! Also, since there are going to be encounters with other Sekirei and Ashikabe, I will need some help with OCs. Any will be fine! You could call this a prequel, or the first chapter, because it does start off the story, but it's purely meant to give you a feel of how the story will go and what's to come for our protagonist. Enough of the chitchat, so how 'bout you all take off those masks and join the ones that love literature…..**

**_Disclaimer: As much as I love every character in Sekirei, especially Kagari, I must admit that my hopeless mind will never own something so amazing_**

(LINE)

My name is Shika Mickton. Age 18. Hair color: average lavender. Eye color: a simple purple, slightly darker than my hair. Current status: still looking. I am a Sekirei. My type is hallucinative (AN: probably not a word XD), for lack of a better word. I have no Ashikabi. And probably will never because of my problem. But, let's not talk all about me. You're here to learn more about the second Sekirei Plan, right? You're an Ashikabi with two Sekirei and you came to know more about what's going to take place. And I'll gladly tell you.

After the first Plan, the Game Master died, and one of the old scientists decided to recreate the game and become the new Game Master, but have a few different rules. He took a few of the older Sekirei that weren't too badly injured and re-used their bodies, as well as make new and improved Sekirei, ones that had stronger powers and were more sensitive to their Ashikabi. Unlike the first time, the bigger the Sekirei number, the stronger the Sekirei is. And instead of taking away and practically killing the Sekireis that lose the fights, the winning Ashikabi will be able to re-wing the Sekirei-against their will and with someone that's not their natural Ashikabi- and have them continue to fight. Also, Ashikabi will have at least two Sekirei, and the original Sekirei the winning Ashikabi has will go to the Higher Skies. But, to make it fair for all of the un-winged Sekirei, Ashikabi-less Sekirei aren't allowed to be attacked, but can be winged by force, much like the first Plan. And escaping? Impossible. They've put trackers in our bodies that can heal us with a push of a button and kill us just as quickly. But, MBI is pretty merciful if they believe that you're trying to play the game. That's another upside to the new Plan; the new Game Master doesn't want to screw around. He merely wants to collect data for future Plans, because there will be more, until they finally accomplish a perfected and entertaining game.

Me? You want to know more about me? I guess I could answer a few questions. But, in return, I get to ask a few. Deal? Fantastic. My number? Out of 108? Hmm….I make it rule to keep that a secret, but I'll make an exception for you, Mr. Ashikabi. My number is 108. What is your Sekireis'? 54 and 55, huh? That's a happy medium. Oh, don't worry about me beating up your Sekirei. I can't fight without an Ashikabe, well, at least, I don't intend to, not that I'll ever get one. Why? You sure are whipping thee questions out pretty fast. But, I guess I can spill. Being the very first Sekirei that was modified, my power was a bit too strong, so my hallucination inducing power would affect others around me and make them see things that weren't, slowly driving them mad. So, if I project constant hallucinations, how will I find an Ashikabi that will see the real me? Exactly, I won't. Now, might I ask why you're so curious about me? I know you didn't come all the way to the outskirts of the MBI zone just to learn more about what you already knew. Ah, I know why. You came to ask why I look like the last Plan's strongest Sekirei, No. 1, Miya. Honestly, I don't know. Again, the old scientist just chose the few Sekirei from before with the least amount of damage. Now, it's my turn to ask. Can I ask your Sekirei a personal question? Thanks, it will only take a second.

Tell me truthfully, what does it feel like to be emerged? To be touched by your Ashikabi, to be loved by your Ashikabi? I just want to know what I'm going to be missing out on…..I mean, let's be honest, we all know that Sekirei live for their Ashikabi. To find them, kiss them, fight for them, and, hopefully, win for them. We _live_ for our Ashikabi. And, I just wanted to know if I should just give up and let myself get emerged by a random Ashikabi or if I should continue to look? Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down! I get it, I get it! Don't give up on looking for my Ashikabi! Geez, you two need to calm down! I was just curious. But….Thanks. I needed to know that. Anyways, now it's your turn. Anymore questions?

You want to know my story? You want to know my history, my past? I'm sorry, but I've broken too many rules in this one meeting, and I don't plan on breaking my most important one. I've had a really good time in this rinky-dinky coffee shop, but I can't stay. You three know what you're in and know that you should watch you're backs. The other seven triple digits aren't going to be so kind. But, if you ever run into 107, tell him I said hi. He might give you a message to return to me. Now, goodbye. I hope to never see you again, if you get what I mean.

(LINE)

**Alright! This is the beginning of TSSP, The Second Sekirei Plan! I will post a chapter as frequently as possible, at least once a week. I don't really have a set goal, but I do plan on starting and finishing the whole Plan, so if you don't have that type of commitment, then stop here. I promise that the rest of the story won't be in this POV. It'll be in Shika's, using I, me, and my.**

**Again, I will need some Sekirei and Ashikabe to use, so any ideas, even if it's just one word to describe the personality, will help immensely. Please review and save your masks until next time!**

**-Confident**


	2. Chapter 2

**HIIIII!(So far to my one follower that I hope to keep happy) I'm typing up the 2****nd ****chapter. It's in Shika's POV, unlike the first chapter/ intro….I don't know what else to say…..Well, come take off your mask and join those who love literature…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sekirei, even if I wish I did.**

(LINE)

"Hm…Which is better?" I mumbled to myself as I held a box of Cheerios and a box of Fruity Pebbles in my hands.

It'd ben one week since I talked to the Ashikabi and two Sekirei at the coffee shop in the outskirts of town. I'd refused to tell them about me, because I am successfully staying under the Sekirei grid. I'm using a non-MBI funded phone, a non-MBI funded credit card, and non-MBI funds. I know it's impossible to hide from MBI, but other Sekirei will hopefully never find me. Especially if I don't have an Ashikabi having me fight. So, I'm living a normal life, like a human. Everything's peaceful right now. Only minor Sekirei battle have taken place and still about 35% of the Sekirei are un-winged. Sometimes it was good to know that I wasn't really alone, but then I would quickly remember that the percentage got smaller every day. Unlike me, the other Sekirei will find their Ashikabi and fight for them with love and devotion. I can't. That sucks. I continued glaring at the cereal, lost in my decision. Suddenly, an elegant finger tapped on the Cheerios.

"Better for the health." A warm voice answered my quiet question and I looked up. Warm, beautiful, captivating green eyes with small flecks of caramel bore into mine. Not that I noticed. The beautiful face held a breathtaking smile and I gasped, realizing I was staring.

"But," He continued, his face leaning over my shoulder and his body pressed against my back. He moved his long finger to touch the Fruity Pebbles box. "If you're going for something sweet, I recommend Pebbles."

I was frozen for a second before turning my head away and sticking both cereals in my cart. My cheeks blew up in a red flame. My body had a sudden flash of heat before it went away when I looked away from the boy. "And who asked you for an opinion?"

"Well, you, who else?" He looked befuddled, as if the answer was obvious. I was about to make some stupid come-back, but he burst out laughing. He held his sides and then slowly recovered himself. He took a bite off an apple in his hands. "I apologize for my teasing. In all honesty, I saw you standing here with such confusion I had to help you out."

"A real knight in shining armor." I grumbled and began to walk away. He caught onto the side and stood on the metal bar under the cart, making me push him around with me. He leaned in and stared at me. I had an urge to both pull away, the rational thought, and lean in, the irrational, stupid, idiotic, and oh so appeasing idea. I pulled back.

"Where do they make girls like you?" He queered to himself, but I also knew he wanted an answer.

"Like I would tell a stranger my personal information. Now, shoo. I've got shopping to do." I gave him a go-away-before-I-have-to-tell-you-twice look, but he just grinned in amusement. My heart thumped loudly before I shook my head and looked away with a blush, my body starting to get hot.

"There he is! Get him!" I heard a voice from far off call and looked towards it. The store owner and a police man were glaring at the boy.

"Shoot, they've caught up. Well, I guess this is goodbye, my dear." My heart pounded at nickname. He twirled his hand and a purple lily was suddenly in his hand. "Hmmm, almost perfect. A little wilted. I've got to work on that." He reached over and stuck the lily behind my ear. His fingers lingered by my cheek and then moved away. My body was heated and cooled by his soft touch and I almost-_almost _-whimpered from the exciting feeling. He smiled and tossed me his apple with one bite in it. He started to run off, the owner and police man running closer, still screaming for the boy to stop.

"Why purple?" I blurted out without thinking. He looked back at me over his shoulder, his wavy black hair covering his eyes slightly. My heart gave one loud leap. My body flared up. All from him looking at me in the eye. He smiled wide and my heart thundered loudly and my body felt like it was burning into ashes.

"Because it matches your eyes perfectly!"

And with that, he ran into an employee's only door. I stood frozen by his answer. He shouldn't have known what my eye color is. Nobody does. That's price that comes with overpowered hallucinations. Nobody sees the real me.

So why did he?

(LINE)

**And that is chapter 2! I've decided that I'll do a chapter every Sunday and every Monday…Or at least I'll try to stay on track. I'm trying to type as fast as possible, but there are a lot of things that take up my time during the day. So, I'll try to keep my one follower happy! **


	3. Chapter 3

**HEYYYYYY! Welcome back! I now am a proud person…I've got****_ 2_**** followers! I'm beyond happy! I'm so glad that people have been following my first story. Also, I do want to apologize for the typo that said I would post a chapter every Sunday and Monday. It's really meant to be every Sunday and Wednesday…Well, I'll stop rambling and let you get to the story. Take off your masks and join those who love literature…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sekirei! (If I did there would be a lot less annoying characters in Pure Engagement…..and there would be more Kagari!)**

**(LINE)**

After I had bought my groceries in a daze, I headed home. Well, my shoebox sized apartment. That only had a single twin bed, a microwave, a coffeemaker, a tiny TV, and a miniature closet filled with cheap clothes. As I walked to my home, I looked up and down at the large trees lining the streets. The beautiful color of the leaves reminded me of the boy's eyes. Such warm and electric eyes that bore into my soul and broke past my strong barrier. Eyes that were close enough to make my heart thump. Eyes that I wouldn't forget anytime soon. I flushed a bright pink as I remembered how close he was to me. I hadn't been that close to someone since there was a sale on meat at the grocery store and I was trapped in the crowd. I shook my head, clearing it from the unnecessary thought of the stranger. But, even as my head cleared, my body flamed with heat, my heart the source of the heat. It bumped and pounded on its bony cage as I continued to walk to my home. People stared at me like I was an alien as I strode past. But I was used to it. The hallucinations blind-sided everybody-_everybody _- from seeing the real me. Including a strange black-haired green-eyed boy from a grocery store. The logical explanation is that his hallucination of me just so happened to be with purple eyes. As I thought about the boy, my once cooled body flared up again. My breathing became labored and I couldn't see past the haze clouding my eyes.

"Hey, lady, you need help?" I heard a rough and snickering voice ask, but it sounded far away. All I could focus on was the heat filling my body and a strange worry that wasn't mine. The rough voice was followed by calloused hands that slipped around my waist. "How 'bout a smooch and a walk to my place to help you clear your mind?" My body was too hot for me to answer. The man leaned in.

_ Somebody help! Please!_ I screamed in my head, the strange worry from before switched to alarm. The man got closer and my body got hotter, but not because of him. No, this strange heat was because of something else. It couldn't be someone else. It was impossible.

"Whoa, lady, you're burning up! Forget this! I've got enough on my plate already, I can't worry about getting' sick!" The hands left and the voice receded. Even though it was almost freezing outside, the back of my T-shirt was soaked with sweat. I felt like I was on fire. I needed to get home before another person took advantage of me.

I raced home, which was more like walking and stumbling all the way to my apartment.  
Every step I took away from the tree-lined street, the cooler my body became. I was finally back to normal after ten minutes of trudging away. I ran home with my single bag of groceries in my hand as fast as I could. My hair flew around me until I heard something drop on the floor. I whipped around and saw the purple lily on the sidewalk. I stared at it, frozen and refusing to move. I felt my heart slowly pick up beat, going faster and fast as my thoughts raced back and forth. My pounding heart, the severe heat, feeling someone else's feelings, the boy saying my eyes were purple. Could I just be denying the truth? Could that strange boy in the grocery store be the one? Could he be the one that could actually see the real me? I shook my head. No way. It wasn't possible and it was never going to be possible. I picked up the lily and twirled it in my fingers. The light pranced on its petals and reflected a shiny gold. My body stared rising in heat as I thought about the boy. How pretty his eyes were, how smooth his voice was, how his laugh sounded like music to my ears, how he smiled at me as if I was something he'd never seen before but wanted nonetheless. It wasn't possible.

But what if it was?

(LINE)

**Alright! I've finished another, though it wasn't really that hard….I've stared realizing that my chapters are pretty small….I might have to fix that soon…Oh well, I'll ponder on it for a while! I'm glad you came and I hope you save your masks until next time!**

**-Confident**


	4. Chapter 4

**MY COMPUTER CRASHED! I was so angry that I had just started a series and I couldn't post anything! I apologize to those who were waiting or were angry! (Though you probably had other things to read) To make up, I wrote two chapters just for you guys. I promise to try my hardest to post as many as I can over the weekend! I will hopefully never have to wait a long time to type and post a chapter! Well, despite that, to any that are continuing, come take off your masks and join the ones who love literature…**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Sekirei….I'm not that awesome.**

**(LINE)**

'_What if I'd truly found the one that could see?'_

I felt a pang of excitement that wasn't mine. It was as if the person feeding these feelings into me was excited to know that there was a chance to something more, with me or not. I shook my head and quickly continued moving. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize how labored my breath was and how hot my body was becoming. I had an urge to wait here until the person came, to see who was doing these things to me, but I thought better of it and walked a little faster. My steps soon became trudges as my body became too hot to bear. I clutched the lily against my chest protectively. _I need to get this in_ _water_, my dazed and foggy mind declared as I slowly cooled down. Finally, I made my way home, the strange feelings from the person losing their power and receding to its owner.

I looked around to be sure no Sekirei were around, unlocked and opened the door, and headed inside. I locked the door behind me and flicked on the light. My tiny apartment lit up with artificial yellow. I smiled at the familiarity. I slipped off my worn down converse that were always a bit too big and hummed as I walked to the 'kitchen'. I found a plastic cup, filled it with water, stuck the lily in it, and placed near on the tiny windowsill. I opened a Poptart bag and stuck the sweet treats in the microwave. I walked over to the TV and manually turned it on.

"The weather will take a juristic turn around 7 tonight, so watch out for fierce thunderstorms all through the night." I shuddered slightly from the forecast. I hated thunderstorms. They reminded me of that night. The night where the plan failed.

I heard a low rumble from the sky and winced. I quickly returned to my cooking Poptarts in silence, listening to the hum of the cheap machine. It beeped and I popped the delicious cracker-like treats out. I sat in eerie silence as I stared at the Poptarts. I heard a loud thump and almost screamed, knowing the storm had come and I would be spending my time whimpering for the rest of the night. But, no thunder rolled after it. I looked around. Why wasn't there any thunder? I heard the loud thump again, but merely winced at the sound. It definitely wasn't lightning, but it still boomed just as loud. I walked around my apartment, trying to locate the sound. I jumped when I heard it was right behind me, coming from the door. I turned slowly. My breath came quicker and adrenaline heated my body. I walked towards the door, heart racing and body burning. Slowly, I stood on tiptoe to look through to look through the peephole. I gasped and stumbled back.

Drenched in rain and waiting outside my door was a black-haired green-eyed boy that had given me a purple lily that matched my eyes perfectly. A boy that was slowly, but surely, turning my world upside down.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" I heard him call desperately. My heart was thundering in my chest. _Why is _he _here? What is _he _doing _here_?!_ I wailed in my head as I backed away from the door. I felt a strange shock and excitement. It had to have been coming from him; it was too strong and fierce for it not to be him. "Hello?! I-Is someone in there?!" His voice was stronger than before, more hopeful. He must've felt my despair, and instantly knew I was in here. _What am I supposed to do now?! He knows I'm in here now!_ I screamed desperately. "I-I just want a place to stay tonight! As you can see, it's a torrential downpour, or whatever those weather people call it. It's raining really hard and I don't have an umbrella or any knowledge of where I am! I just want a place to wait out the storm!" My heart punched my chest mercilessly as I listened silently to the boy. I heard something thud against the door, this one softer. Stepping silently closer to the door, I peered through the peephole. The boy had leaned forward to push his forehead against the door in defeat and desperation. "Please. I'm not a dangerous person; I just want a place to stay. You see, I can't go home. It was becoming too controlling, so I had to leave. But, in the process of finding an apartment this storm came overhead. I'll leave in the morning without a trace. I'll pay for any extra expenses. Just one night. Please."

My heart crumpled at his plea. He seemed truly helpless, a wet, abused puppy that just wanted a place to call home. I inwardly sighed. Despite my burning body, thundering heart, and strange feelings of defeat, I was happy. For some bizarre, twisted reason, I was happy that the boy was asking for my help. I slipped the chain lock on and opened the door to its maximum before the chain restrained. The boy looked up in shock. My heart was racing as I locked eyes with him. My body flared up.

"O-Only dangerous people would say they weren't dangerous." I stuttered quietly. Happiness flowed from him into me. The boy smiled.

"Then I'm very, _very_ dangerous. Who knows, I might eat every last cookie you have stowed away?" He shrugged his shoulders and smiled wider.

"I don't have any cookies."

"Then you're safe." We stood in silence. "So can I come in?"

It was a pure question. I could've said no, closed the door, let him walk away, and miss out on something wonderful, or I could open the door, let him in, and experience what I always thought was impossible. It was my choice. Was he really worth it? My pounding heart screamed yes. Should I let him stay the night? My warm body pleaded 'of course'. Could I throw everything I had worked so hard to accomplish out the window for a stranger? My heart encouraged me 'do it! You won't regret it!'. Was he my Ashikabi?

My mind had no doubt.

I closed the door, unlocked the chain, and opened it wide. The boy looked shocked I closed the door, unhooked the chain, and opened it wide. The boy looked shocked and happy as water drizzled down his head. He stepped inside and I shut the door quietly behind him. He sat down and relaxed as if he owned the tiny apartment. I went to where he was and sat down silently. My heart boomed in my chest, blocking out all other sounds. My body was on fire. I was so tempted to stretch out and kiss him. I no longer wanted to feel this heat or my heart racing. I wanted to be near him without these bizarre feelings. I wanted him to touch me and not feel my bones incinerate. I wanted him to caress me without feeling like I was about to die.

Wait what?

I shook my head and went back to my Poptarts. I was never going to admit that I wanted him. I didn't even know his name. That thought made my head snap up. "What's your name?" When he turned to look at me, he seemed confused.

"Do I know you from somewhere before?" My heart shattered. I looked away and put out my hallucinations to change my appearance. If he didn't remember me, then why should he see anything close to me. It'd be better for him just to think I was just some random girl. My heart quivered with a sob stuck on the inside. I shouldn't have thought he was different. He didn't see the real me back in the store. Suddenly, my hot body cooled slightly and my heart slowed with sadness. He was just the same as all the others. All the others that never saw the real me.

"You've got a very familiar voice. Maybe you're a fan?" He mused to himself.

"Fan?" Curiosity killing cats set aside, I wanted to know.

"You don't know? Here," He leaned over and flipped through a few TV channels. While everything was silent I could hear the rain pounding on the roof. He stopped on a channel that had two people chattering about the social media. I never watched these shows. I believed they were useless. I tried to ignore it, hoping that he would just give up and change it back. But, he turned up the volume, making it impossible for me to tune it out. I grabbed my Poptarts with a sigh of defeat and faced the TV. At that time, a pretty newscaster was smiling and beginning to talk about a new topic.

"And speaking of young stars, teenage magician, Jacob Lawrence, has started a new program where he goes and teaches young disabled children magic. We were able to catch a few answers from the teen as he approached one of the schools." The screen flashed to a video of a crowd snapping photos and reported screaming questions at a boy walking by.

He smiled and waved and walked up to the reporter and camera man. His electric green eyes bore into the reporter's soul and his black hair that hugged his head seemed to only intimidate the poor girl even more. She stuttered frequently and could barely make eye contact with him. I looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow. The boy on the TV was intimidating and alluring. And the boy in front of me was childish and innocent. They couldn't be the same person. It was impossible. But even so, the boy pointed out the screen and tapped the tip of his nose. He was grinning ear to ear.

"_That_," I gestured to the screen. "isn't you."

"Oh yeah it is, my little lily." He teased and changed the channel to some weird soap. My body stung from the reminder of the flower he'd given me in the store. The reminder that he didn't know the real me or see the real me shattered me inside. I glanced at him.

I couldn't very well just tell him to leave and have him walk in the pouring rain. That would be unmoral. And I knew deep down that I would never bring myself to utter the word. I finished my Poptart in silence as I watched Jacob grumble about the soap he obviously watched frequently. I stared at him until he turned to glance at me, obviously feeling my stare on his face. It was then that I realized I was unconsciously scooting closer to him. I gasped and flew back with a red face. He smiled and thought for a moment before twisting his hand obnoxiously and making a rose appear out of thin air. It was like one I'd never seen before. It was pure, blood red in the center until the tips that were purple. I marveled at its beauty. He smiled and held it out to me. I took the stem gingerly and stared at it in awe.

"Why purple and red?" I mumbled to myself, remembering the store. _Why am I remembering it this much? It was a simple meeting in a grocery store that may or may not have met me to my Ashikabi! Nothing more, nothing less!_

"Huh?" He asked, thinking I was asking him.

Genuinely curious about his answer, I repeated the question. "Why purple and red?" He smiled slyly.

"Because it reminds me of your red face when you're embarrassed and how prettily it mixes with your eyes." He leaned in closer to me.

"And you still don't remember?" I mumbled. After saying that, after handing me a flower, he still doesn't remember me from the store?

"Remember what?" He asked confused, tilting his head like a dog. Of course he didn't remember. I needed to stop prodding helplessly at a wasps nest. In the end, I'd just get stung.

"Take this," I pushed the rose at his chest. "And burn it. I'm going to bed. Don't be here when I wake up." I stood and went to my bed at the edge of the apartment. "Don't be here when I wake up." As if to emphasize my anger, thunder rolled above us. I shivered and curled into my bed. I fell asleep to the eerie sound of rain on the cheap roof.

**(LINE)**

**The next chapter is up, right after this one, so, again, I hope you aren't mad! Save your masks until the short next time! -Confident**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, here's the next chapter…I'm extremely sorry. Please forgive me! Take your masks off and join the extremely apologetic one that love literature….**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Sekirei…But the things I would do if I did…..Oh the things I would do…**_

**(LINE)**

All around me were cages. Some held boys, others girls, I even saw a few kids in a large one. There were no covers for our cages, so the rain fell on our bodies and soaked our clothes. The cage next to mine held my best friend, Larkin, number 107, who was bouncing on his toes and grinning. In fact, despite the cages and the rain, we were all happy and excited. Today was the day the Second Sekirei Plan would go into action. The day we could all find our Ashikabi and be happy.

"You ready, Shika? Today's the day! We're being set free and we'll go find our Ashikabi!" Like me, Larkin only wanted to live happily with his Ashikabi. But, something had changed him since then. Nowadays, he was only out for blood.

I nodded. "I can barely wait." There was chatter all through the forest they had us in. It quickly died down when one of the scientists, Daniel, walked in front of us and cleared his throat. I heard Larkin gasp and out of the corner of my eye I saw him clutch his chest tightly.

"Alright, everyone, we know that today is the day everything starts, but there are some rules before we begin. First off," And he rambled on with a list of rules. While everyone was staring at him intently and nodding, I glanced at Larkin. His face was flushed and his breath was labored. His long, straight caramel hair was slightly wet with sweat and his usually clear blue eyes were glazed over as he looked at Daniel. His Ashikabi must be near, so he's hoping that Daniel will hurry along and release us so he can get winged. I shrugged off his reaction, knowing his Ashikabi must already be affecting him. I looked back at Daniel just as he finished. He scanned his eyes over us and nodded with a smile, as if pleased by how we looked. He walked off and went to discuss calmly with a young looking lady. I turned back towards Larkin, drumming my fingers along the hilt of my katana that hung at my hip.

"It'd be interesting to see how may…" I heard a silky and ice cold voice say behind me before I could speak. I turned to see a handsome Sekirei in the cage behind me. He flicked his black hair out of his equally dark hair and pushed up his thin wire glasses. "I'm Mitch, number 99. And you?" he smiled at me with no warmth or humor.

"Shika, and I prefer to keep my number secret." I answered guardedly, instantly not trusting him.

"I'm Larkin, number 107! Nice to meet you! What type are you? I'm a lightning type!" Larkin answered happily, just as chipper as before. He never had a problem with other people, but if people had a problem with him, he'd take care of it. Physically. That was the way he'd been and always would be.

"I'm a scythe type. And you, Ms. Shika?" Mitch turned and smiled coldly at me again. He obviously wasn't interested in Larkin. Only me. But, in all honesty, I didn't care. Not about him, or this game. I only wanted to find my Ashikabi and live with them happily. After this night, that would change. After this night, I never wanted to feel the pain of having and losing an Ashikabi. I snorted a laugh that said 'as if I'm going to tell you' and looked away.

"Scythe type? That's cool! Actually," Larkin looked at me curiously. "I don't really know what Shika's is. But, I'm sure it has something to do with that sword." Larkin smiled like a happy puppy that was trying to please its master. Just as Mitch was about to politely tell him to shut up, we all heard a blood curling scream.

I drew my sword and held it out firmly in reflex. Mitch turned and ripped off his glasses that suddenly turned into a long, black and almost elegant scythe. Larkin's hands sat at his sides and were surrounded with lightning. What I saw made me almost vomit. Laying there in the beautiful green grass, with a pool of red around him, was Daniel. Standing over him was a girl with long blond pigtails and a smoking gun in her hands. Daniel had a bullet hole in the center of his head and his glassy brown eyes stared at the stars. Standing nearby was the lady Daniel was talking to normally not five minutes ago, her face shrouded with pure fear and horror. I heard another feminine scream from across the mass of cages.

"He was her Ashikabi!" I heard someone exclaim nearby whoever screamed. And as I turned to ask Larkin what was going on, everything went black.

Then, I was flashed to a new scene, the same place and time, but chaos had taken place. Some cages were open, Sekirei either fighting or fleeing, Daniel's body still in the grass with a female body hunched over it and a male body. I didn't recognize them from the short time I had to look at them. I looked around and saw that MBI swat team had come in and was either battling with other Sekirei or dragging the ones that escaped back into cages. I still stood in my opened cage, afraid to move a centimeter into the chaos. Then, the scene changed to the aftermath. Blood was everywhere. Daniel's body had been moved and Larkin sat next to me with a blank expression, unable to take in anymore. I sat with eight others, the Triples-or triple digits-, and the Game Master. He was going on about how this night should've never happened and, for that reason alone, we needed to keep it a secret. I looked at the others. Except for me, Larkin, and one more, I think number 102-or was it 103?-, everyone else was fine. As if nothing horrific just happened. Suddenly, Larkin collapsed and everything went black again. One final thing was yelled into the echo of the darkness.

"Larkin!"

A crack of thunder brought me out of my nightmare. The night the second plan failed and everyone except the triple digits were returned and altered to forget that night One single Sekirei killing an Ashikabi that had yet to wing their two Sekirei, that were in that forest, waiting patiently to be released from their cages to kiss him. It quickly became a massacre. But despite the horrific event, only after six months, word came out of the return of the second plan. To ensure that they never have to worry about that night again, they made us, the Triples-the only ones allowed to keep any memory of that night-, agree to keep quiet about that night. I've stayed under the radar since then. I shook myself out of the shock and looked up. There, sitting on top of me and looking down into my eyes triumphantly, was Jacob. He seemed to be even more triumphant as he held my purple lily in my face.

"I knew it was you! I knew it was you from the market!" He looked at me as if he expected a confession.

"No, I'm not." I quickly changed my appearance. But, his gaze didn't waver or lose confidence.

"Yeah, it's you. I'd remember someone with such pretty purple hair and eyes! And, you've got the lily I gave you! You're the girl from the supermarket!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Did he see me then? Can he see me now? Does he really remember? I sat up and Jacob sat cross legged in front of me. I changed my appearance to long green hair and gold eyes. I looked at him dead in the eyes.

"What color is my hair?" Despite my rushing blood and burning body, I asked him calmly.

"Purple?" He tilted his head like a dog, obviously confused by my question.

"And my eyes?" I urged. I had to know. I had to know if there was someone who could really see me.

"Purple? Look, I know that we just met, but I've kind of got to ask you something..." His confident demeanor quickly shifted to anxiety and embarrassment. Not that I noticed. My body was burning hotter than ever before and my pounding heart was almost leaping out of my chest. The only thing my foggy mind could comprehend was that if I kissed him, I'd go back to normal. I'd be able to be around him like a normal person. My breath became labored and I fell forward onto him. He tensed in shock. "Whoa! Are you okay?" He laid a hand on my face and whipped back as if it was burned. "You're burning up! You need to take some-some medicine! Here, I'll go dig some up!" He tried to pull away, but I clung to him desperately. I could feel tears watering my eyes.

"You can see me. I finally found a person who could see past it." I mumbled into his chest as my hands clutched his T-shirt. I looked up at him with a smile, a thing rarely shown on my face nowadays. "And, to make it even better, you're my Ashikabi. I didn't like the idea of one before, but you're so confident and so...so...special. All of the sudden, I can't see my life without you. So, please," I looked into his confused and worried green eyes. I never realized how much I loved the color green. It was like cool grass on a sunny day with a blue sky. Maybe one day we could go to a field and lay out on the grass and have a picnic under the shade of a tree. My mind was on cloud nine, but I knew I needed to continue my plea. "Wing me. Make me your Sekirei, and I promise to protect and love you with all my heart." The things that came out of my mouth concerned me slightly. I'd never thought of such things before, but my mind knew exactly what to say and exactly what to do. Jacob seemed to be all the more confused by my words.

"I think you're running a fever. Maybe you're delusional." he tried to lay me down and pull back but I kept him leaning over me. I clutched his shirt desperately.

"Please, just kiss me, wing me. I'll let you stay here with me. I'll clean and cook and everything. Just, please, kiss me." He seemed utterly embarrassed by our positions and my words. He stared into my eyes, my purple eyes that I knew he could see, making my heart soar with joy. Eventually he sighed in defeat.

"If I kiss you, will you go to sleep?" I nodded my head obediently. He smiled and put on fake exasperation. "I don't normally do thus with girls I've just met, but because you begged and asked nicely, I'll give you one peck on the cheek." I instantly began shaking my head.

"It has to be on the lips, or else you'll have to find some other way to coax me into sleep." My muddied brain cleared enough for me to make an intelligible response. Jacob had an unreadable expression.

"On the lips? I can't do that! I may be young, but I'm still a gentleman! I can't kiss a girl I just met on the lips! That would be wrong!" He began pulling away, but I had an iron grip. With every second he stayed this close to me, I got hotter. I began to cry. Did he not want to kiss me? Did he not like me at all? Was I just a girl that he met in a store, gave a flower to, and staid in the apartment of? Was that all I was to him? It's completely normal to think that, but that's not what I wanted him to think. I wanted him to think i was special, just like he was to me. I sobbed and bent my head into his chest. "Are you crying because I won't kiss you?" I nodded without removing my head from us chest. He smelled like salt, probably from my tears, and roses. I'd never smelt a cologne that smelled like roses. It was intoxicating. "Geez. Alright, fine. If you really want it, I'll give it to you." He pulled back and lifted my chin to look him in the eyes. He looked nervous, but determined. He gave me a reassuring smile and leaned in closer. With every inch he gained into my personal space, my heart sped faster. His breathe caressed my cheeks gently and I fluttered my eyes closed.

Then, his lips were placed perfectly on mine.

My body became a firework. My speeding heart raced ahead, but released its tension that it'd been holding in all day. My skin cooled to a cozy warm that spread throughout my body. I felt my Sekirei symbol pulsate, as if it was my own beating heart, and send waves through my nerves that made every inch of my skin tingle with delight. I felt my entire heat gather towards my symbol and burst outwards, creating my wings. Happiness flooded through me. I wasn't defective, or forced to be alone. I had an Ashikabi. The thought soothed my heart and body and for the first time in a long time, I felt normal. With the exception of the new over flowing power rushing through my veins and the happiness in my body, I was back to normal. I opened my eyes to see Jacob sitting on the end of the bed with wide and shocked eyes. I yawned loudly. Even with power flowing through me, I was still exhausted. I smacked my lips loudly and smiled with half open eyes at Jacob.

"You held up your end, so I'll hold up mine. Good night." I curled the covers around me to create a cocoon and shut my eyes. I quickly remembered something and opened one of my eyes to see Jacob slightly closer and with disbelief in his eyes. "Oh, and Jacob?" He looked at me with cautiously, as if he did anything to me, I'd do something else impossibly weird. "Be here when I wake up." I closed my eyes before getting an answer. For the first night in a long time, while the rain and thunder played their song outside, I wasn't whimpering in a corner all alone.

**(LINE)**

**And there is the second chapter for the night. I've done my best to make these two longer than the rest, to appease your appetites. And, now that Shika is winged, I'm gonna need some Sekirei for her to battle. So, any Ashikabi, or Sekirei, just tell me. And, I hope to give you another Wednesday. So, save your masks for next time! –Confident**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so I have to admit something awful. My Wednesdays have now been taken over by useless things, so I have to adjust my postings to only Sundays until summer starts up and I've got the time of day to type up longer stories. I'll do my best to keep up with my crazy schedule, so please be patient! Now, take off your masks and join those who love literature…**

**(LINE)**

I woke up and quickly remembered the great dream I'd had. I kept my eyes closed as I tried to pull all of the fragments out of the dream. A boy from a grocery store with beautiful green eyes and warm black hair. A purple lily that he said matched my eyes. Feeling my body heat to unimaginable temperatures and my heart race amazing speeds. They boy appearing at my doorstep, looking like a sad and helpless puppy. The pain when the boy didn't seem to remember me. The memories of the night the plan failed. Waking up to the boy sitting on my bed, claiming he finally remembered me. Then, my winging. The kiss, the heat, the happiness. I sighed in bliss. It quickly turned into sadness.

"What an amazing dream that was. I wished I could relive it again." I murmured and turned onto my side, hugging a pillow to my chest.

"You're not done living it now." A sugar-sweet and oh-so-sexy voice said nearby. I flashed open my eyes. _No way._ I sat up and stared straight into Jacob's eyes. I was shocked and then glee flooded my body. I flung myself at him, all the way on the other side of the bed.

"You're real! You weren't just a dream!" I hugged him tightly. I wasn't usually this clingy, but for right now, I had an Ashikabi that was right next to me. What else was I supposed to do but hug them, love them? I felt Jacob tense up before wrapping his arms hesitantly around my waist.

"How about we make breakfast and you can explain what happened last night?" he suggested softly and I pulled back. I heard his stomach growl loudly and smiled.

"Sure."

I went to the kitchen and began to search for food. I quickly made some coffee and went back to my search. Bacon, eggs, and some muffins bought at the grocery store. I began the process of cooking them as Jacob sat on the floor and watched my like an obedient puppy. Every once in a while, I would pass by him and run my fingers through his hair or run my hand along his chin lovingly. I couldn't believe my Ashikabi was right here, close enough for me to touch. It made me grin wide every time I saw him. He would smile back slightly or hum in bliss when he felt my fingers through his hair, but other than that he was silent. After a couple of minutes, I placed a loaded plate of food in front of him with a full cup of coffee. I ate my much smaller portion of food and coffee as I listened to the continuous rain on the roof. I hadn't noticed until now. There was a faraway rumble of thunder and I shuddered. Jacob glanced at me curiously, worry painting on his features.

"Are you scared of storms?" I nodded, my mouth full with muffin. "Why?" I swallowed as silently as possible.

"It kind of goes hand-in-hand with what happened last night." I raised an eyebrow, obviously telling me that now was the time to share. I took a deep breath and got comfortable. "A long time ago, a man found an island. On that island was 108 species of Sekirei. He took them and altered them in a way so that they reacted to a certain person, their Ashikabi. When we Sekirei are kissed by our Ashikabi, a reaction takes place in our bodies, emitting wings from our backs, hence what you saw when you kissed me last night. The man who found us, the old game master, made a game out of the Sekirei. All Sekirei would fight for their Ashikabi, until there was only one left. Then, the Ashikabi would go with their Sekirei to the Higher Sky Above." I took a breath and Jacob took the opportunity to ask a question.

"What was this jerk's name?"

"It was so long ago, and the new game master never mentions it, so nobody remembers." I shrugged and he nodded with a thoughtful look. "Continuing, after the first Sekirei plan ended, the old game master died. The new game master decided to continue the tradition, modifying the Sekirei ever so slightly. And as of last night, you're my Ashikabi and I'm your Sekirei. We're now a part of the new game, the new Sekirei plan."

He was silent for a long time before opening his mouth slowly. "So, could you die?"

"Yes, but you'll never be harmed. I promise on my life that you'll never go through any pain in this game." I looked at him gravely. I would never allow my Ashikabi to get harmed over something as stupid as this game.

"Are there more?" He mumbled.

"You'll wing another Sekirei and we'll both have to battle other Sekirei during this game." I answered and felt my heart sink. Another Sekirei would be sharing my Ashikabi. Another Sekirei would see him the way I do. It almost felt unfair. I sighed deeply and looked at my breakfast depressingly. Jacob looked at me before grabbing my hand hesitantly. I looked into his green eyes curiously.

"No matter what happens, you'll always be my girl from the store with pretty purple eyes and hair." He smiled reassuringly. I smiled back, relief and joy washing over me.

"That's a rather long title. How about you just call me Shika."

"Shika." He said as if tasting it on his tongue. "Shika the girl from the store with pretty purple eyes and hair."

I giggled and finished my breakfast, Jacob still holding my hand. I stood up and began collecting the plates and cups until Jacob reached out took them from my hands. He gave me a look saying 'Gentlemen don't allow women to clean up the dishes' and stood up. He walked towards the kitchen and began washing off the dishes. I sat in silence, listening to the rain. Another roll of thunder sent chills down my spine.

"Your story never really explained why you're scared of storms." Jacob commented from the kitchen. I smiled sadly as I remembered that night.

"You know how this is the second plan? Well, one night the second plan went wrong. A Sekirei escaped from the cages we were held in. She killed one of the scientists, Daniel, who was also an Ashikabi. Everything turned into a massacre. The rain was turned red with all the blood that was shed." I took a deep breath, calming the nerves that fizzled in my body.

"Sounds harsh." Jacob came and sat across from me. He grabbed my hand again and rubbed his thumb over the top.

"Eventually, we were all captured. All the Sekirei except for me and the other seven Triples had their memories erased of that night. And…..Larkin…..Larkin collapsed that night. He was my friend. But….He's changed." My voice slowly got softer and softer until it was barely audible. "Now, they've started the plan again. Nothing happened the night all the others were released, but….We Triples will never forget that night."

"So, compared to all the others, how strong are you?" Jacob mumbled. I looked at him questioningly. I never pegged him as the type of person who cared about how strong I was.

"Sekirei only get stronger with their number. Out of 108, I'm the strongest. Shika Mickton, Sekirei number 108, weapons type." I smiled widely. I watched Jacob nod.

"Good, good." I looked at him curiously. He smiled. "At least I know I won't have to worry about you getting hurt anytime soon. I would hate to see my little Shika get hurt because of some small tussle with another Sekirei." I blushed furiously at the nickname and looked away, trying to hide my face.

Being near Jacob wasn't nearly as insane as it was before. My heart still raced, but only from things that would normally make your heart race. My body didn't heat up quite as much, unless I was hot or blushing red as a tomato. I still felt happy every second he was near me, and touching him sent tingles throughout my body, but it felt like I was a normal girl, not a Sekirei responding to her Ashikabi. I smiled and leaned towards him, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt him lean his cheek on the top of my head with ease. We both took deep breaths and released them simultaneously.

"I'm glad you're my Ashikabi, Jacob." I murmured and nuzzled farther into the crook of his neck.

"I'm glad you're my Sekirei, Shika." He kissed my hair lovingly.

And for that one moment, everything seemed beautiful. I had an Ashikabi safely in my reach, there were no Sekirei to stop us from this moment, and, most of all, it seemed as if there wasn't even a plan, and evil diabolical game made by some wacko. We were in our own tiny little bubble that no one could possibly pop, that no one dared even pop. Then, I heard my doorbell ring an annoyingly happy tune. I groaned and glared at the door. Someone dared to pop our bubble.

"Go answer it, Shika. I'll be here when you get back." He nudged me and I slowly picked myself up. I trudged over to the door and cracked it open. Standing right there was the last person I wanted to see.

"Hey there, Shika! How's it goin'?" Larkin asked with a wide and devilish grin.

Only an idiot would dare to pop my perfectly made bubble.

Or, only Larkin.

**(LINE)**

**And that was Chapter 6! This one is a little off. I can sense that. It's like a feeling you get in your fingers while you type. As if they're screaming 'Not that word! Don't put that there! You fool!' Oh well, I'll ignore my fingers for now and post this. Save your masks for next week!**

**-Confident**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello! I'm glad to post another chapter, though it is a bit short. I hope you enjoy it, though. So, take off your masks and join those who love literature…**

**_Disclaimer: Sekirei would be an absolute failure if I had control. Good thing I don't._**

**(LINE)**

_I trudged over to the door and cracked it open. Standing right there was the last person I wanted to see._

_"Hey there, Shika! How's it goin'?" Larkin asked with a wide and devilish grin._

"Larkin," I glared at him, not amused by his timing, nor him in general. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since that-"

"I'm the person who is sent to every winged Sekirei and Ashikabi's house to explain the Plan in a bit more depth, not that you need it, Chika-chan," I growled at the nickname he'd given me. I didn't miss that fact that he cut me off before I could bring up that night. "It's a special job I was given by the Game Master. So, want to let me in?"

I narrowed my eyes. I glanced behind me, assuring myself that Jacob was still there and waiting for me to return. I looked back at Larkin's blue eyes. There seemed something off about his eyes ever since that night. They seemed darker, not just in color, but in feel. Larkin's smile was no longer sweet and innocent like it once was. It was a fox's grin with its prey's bloody remains still in its teeth. The sweet boy that I had befriended no longer existed. In his place was a demon that no longer cared about love. Larkin was still waiting for my answer. I pulled a dagger out of one of my many secret compartments and pointed it straight at his throat. He seemed unfazed by this action as he glanced at the dagger and into my eyes with a smug smirk. I glared at him and leaned in close, effectively freezing Larkin where he was standing with my dagger.

"I'm gonna let you in, but I swear to whomever lives upstairs that if you try to so much as touch my Ashikabi I will murder you. And I don't need weapons to make it slow and painful." I growled barely above a whisper.

"Come now, Chika-chan, why in the world would I hurt your Ashikabi? The whole point of me being here is so that you and your Ashikabi know full well what being players in this game will bring. I think of it as saving you from the unknown." He smiled slyly. He touched the tip of my dagger with the pad of his index finger, effectively drawing blood. I saw his hand light up with electricity and a small shock ran from my metal weapon to the tip of my shoulder. I didn't so much as flinch.

"Why did the Game Master give you such a loving job? I thought your heart was too dark to hold such a thing as love." I relaxed my position and gestured for him to come in. There was no point in fighting with the second strongest Sekirei. Not only would I be badly wounded, others would find out I'd been winged and come after me, and Sekirei would know that I even exist.

"Oh, Chika-chan, no need to be so cruel. I can love things." He faked being hurt, his expression mocking. I raised an eyebrow as I closed my door, hearing a roll of thunder a shivering ever so slightly. He chuckled and then looked at me darkly. "I can love pain, and blood, and murder, right? That still counts right, Chika-chan?" He looked away from me and headed to the room Jacob was in.

"Shika? Is there someone with you?" Jacob asked and I sighed. If only it was as simple as just 'someone'.

"Uh, yeah, Jacob, we have an uninvited guest." I emphasized the uninvited and Larkin chuckled as he sat across from Jacob. "Jacob, this is my acquaintance-"

"No need to be so informal, Chika-chan." Larkin interrupted and leaned in close to Jacob to whisper, "We were much more than acquaintances, if you get what I mean." Larkin winked and suddenly there was a not so conspicuous knife thrown at the wall not too far away from Larkin's head. Larkin and Jacob stared at me in shock and surprise.

"Sorry, habit." I cleared my throat. "Jacob, this is Larkin, another Sekirei, he's number 107, a lightning type. He's come here to explain the Plan a little bit more to us. Larkin, this is my Ashikabi, Jacob Lawrence. Now that you've met each other, we can get to talking, and _you_," I stared pointedly at Larkin, "Can get to leaving." I sat down next to Jacob, running my fingers through his black hair one last time before looking back at Larkin. "Begin."

"Of course," Larkin smiled too maliciously for it to even be counted as a smile. "So, I'm guessing Shika gave you the basics of how we Sekirei came to be, and the general idea of what Sekirei and Ashikabi do, right?" Jacob nodded. "Good, good. Well, let's just start with; you know how you had to wing, or kiss, Shika? Well, you'll have to do that again, and then multiple times after that. Each Ashikabi gets two original Sekirei, and when your Sekirei beat other Sekirei, you have to wing those that lost as well. Eventually, there will only be one Ashikabi with two original Sekirei and all the other 106 Sekirei as theirs. But, there are some rules on top of this one. You can't wing another Sekirei that hasn't been winger with their original Ashikabi. Also, you can't fight unwinged Sekirei. Something about how it's unfair to the Sekirei that never got to meet their Ashikabi in the previous one. And, if your original Sekirei win, you get to go with both of them to the Higher Sky Above. But, remember that not all Sekirei you wing from winning a fight will like you. There are actually a few out there that refuse to find an Ashikabi. You gettin' this?" Jacob nodded frantically. I could tell he was absolutely entranced with what Larkin was saying. "You are one of the better Ashikabi aren't you?" I clenched my fist and glared holes into Larkin's face. "Want to wing me? I'd be much more help than Shika." Larkin purred as he leaned in closer to Jacob, who was turning a deep shade of red and was leaning farther and farther away from Larkin. I bit my tongue to hold in the anger. It wouldn't help a single person to start a mini war with another Sekirei in my home. I glared at Larkin harder, knowing from that smile on his face he was enjoying every second of this.

"Larkin, keep it to yourself." I just barely hissed out. That only seemed to push Larkin harder.

"Come on, Jacob. I know the second you saw me, you knew I was strong. I could use my powers to help you, not hurt you. What do you say?" Larkin was purring, his caramel hair covering his probably humor filled blue eyes. I was shaking from sheer anger and Jacob was shaking in sheer fear. Larkin was jumping on the thin tightrope he was just barely staying on before. Larkin reached out and put a gentle hand on Jacob's shoulder. Larkin just jumped off the tightrope without a second thought. And my anger was released from its cage. In the blink of an eye, I had a katana stretched out and pointed at Larkin's heart and a knife not a millimeter away from the back of the hand on Jacob's shoulder. Larking was frozen solid, Jacob along with him.

"Jacob, please move into the kitchen so I can settle a few things with Larkin. I would hate for you to get caught in the crosshairs. I did, after all, make a promise that you wouldn't get hurt." I said my voice no louder than a whisper. I never moved my eyes away from Larkin's, and Larkin never moved his hand away from where it was, though Jacob had already moved away. "Now, Larkin, I'm going to say this once. I warned you before you even walked into this house. 'If you try to so much as touch my Ashikabi, I will murder you' ring any bells in that stupid head of yours? So, now I'm going have to do exactly that."

I looked at Larkin. His frozen face slowly twisted into a satisfied grin. It was then that I knew that his real objective wasn't to tell use more about the Plan. It was to provoke me into declaring a battle, to start the fight he'd been asking for ever since he started changing from sweet and innocent to murderous and devilish. Larkin's hands instantly flared up with electricity. "Just the words I'd been waiting for, Chika-chan~."

And with that, World War 3 began in the middle of my shoebox sized apartment.

**(LINE)**

**And that's the end of Chapter 7! I do apologize now for the next chapter. I haven't decided to attempt to write a fight scene, or if I should just flash through it, but if I do write it out, I hope you like it. Save your masks for next week!**

**-Confident**


	8. Chapter 8

**My greatest apologies to those who were awaiting this and didn't get it. I'd rewritten the fight scene over and over again, hoping it would turn out right, but it always felt a little off, so I decided just to do this. I'm sorry it took two weeks-worth of writing. Well, I think I'll just give you this chapter and hope it's enough. So, take your masks off and join those who love literature…**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own it, so be glad, because Sekirei would stink if I did. _**

**(LINE)**

I kneeled on the floor and held a dagger at Larkin's navel and my katana at his neck. I took staggered breathes and tried to calm my pounding heart. My whole apartment was in chaos. Trash was thrown on the flower, clothes scattered everywhere, and my poor, adorable, and scared to death Ashikabi in the kitchen. I dared not move an inch as I felt the soft pulse of electricity on my vital neck organ. Larkin's other hand was a fist a millimeter away from my gut. I looked up into Larkin's eyes and raised my eyebrows.

"Well, Larkin, what are you going to do? The ball is in your court." I mumbled softly, afraid to brush my neck against his electrified hand.

"Oh, but Chika-chan, I'm not the one with a petrified Ashikabi in the other room. I believe the next movement will be purely based on your decision. Protect yourself, or your Ashikabi. One of you has to go down." Larkin smiled evilly and the sparks of electricity grew more frantic. I swallowed and glared at him.

"Why?"

"Why what, Chika-chan? I can't answer if I don't know." He tipped his head to the side, looking like an innocent child. But I knew better. I snarled at him as he started to chuckle softly. He suddenly full-out laughed and relaxed his hands to clutch his stomach. I relaxed my position and stood as well. Jacob slowly crept out of the kitchen to stand next to me. I ran my fingers through his hair caringly before turning my gaze back to Larkin, who was practically peeing himself from laughter. He took deep gasps as he tried to calm himself. "Oh, Chika-chan, you crack me up sometimes. Always the one to reach to the extremes. I could see it in your eyes. I could see you calculating every possible way to get you and your Ashikabi out. You would've destroyed this house if it meant you could get out of here with both of you alive. Sometimes, Chika-chan, sometimes." He went back into a laughing fit.

"Larkin, why did you come here in the first place? You have no attachment to me or Jacob. So, why?" I asked him as he regained his composure. He looked at me confusedly.

"You really don't know?" He smirked and sat down. Sometimes I could never understand what Larkin's intentions were. One second he was acting like we were friends, next he was testing my small patience, then we were practically battling to the death, and next he was laughing his butt off and acting like good friends again. I sat down reluctantly, slipping my katana back into its sheath. Jacob plopped down, hidden slightly behind me.

"No, so enlighten me, Larkin." I answered bluntly, not in the mood for games.

"Well, Chika-chan, I assume you remember that night." I nodded, not really knowing where this was going. "And you know how Daniel was killed, right?" I nodded again. "And how that one Sekirei acted the second he was dead, correct?" Again, I gave a curt nod. "Well," He took a deep breath and his blue eyes shifted. They changed from the harsh and deluded blue back into that innocent brilliant blue from that night. His eyes were so sad, so pained. But, as fast as they went from harsh to innocent, they went back to harsh. "Daniel was my Ashikabi." I froze and blood stopped dead in its tracks. The reason he was black, so hateful, was so clear. I could barely move my cotton-filled mouth.

"S-So, why did you come here? What did you think coming here would do?"

He smiled blandly. "The great and mighty Chika-chan stuttering? I would've never thought the day would come." I staid frozen and he sighed. "The Sekirei that killed him is Pandora, number 62, gun-type. An easy one to defeat, but-"

"But you can't because you were never winged by your original Ashikabi. But that still doesn't explain what you're doing here." I cut him off as I finished his sentence.

"I talked to the Game Master-"

"_The_ Game Master?" I cut him off again. Larkin nodded.

"I told him about my unique situation and he seemed to agree that it would ruin the whole game if there was one Sekirei that wasn't playing. So, he decided that he would reset whatever makes me react to my Ashikabi and allow me to go out and choose my Ashikabi." He answered as if that explained his whole reason for being here.

"I still don't-"

"You're here because you want me to wing you. You believe that, not only will having Shika on your team be beneficial, but with the both of you, Pandora wouldn't stand a chance." Jacob blurted out and Jacob nodded with a small smile.

"I know it'll be kind of weird for me to ask you to give me a smooch, but I'm desperate here. And I truly believe that I could help both you and Chika-chan out. I don't mean any ill-will to either of you. I just want to revenge the death of my Ashikabi." Larkin said gravely and I could see the boy from before that night come back. He wasn't doing this out of spite, though that was what he had as an excuse. He wanted an Ashikabi, even if it wasn't his original one. I glanced at Jacob.

He shrugged and I nodded. It was fine with me as long as he wanted to do it and it was fine with him if I was okay with it. I turned back to face Larkin and smiled. He grinned back and I remembered back when I had desperately hoped we shared an Ashikabi, just so that we could be together, fighting side by side. That's when I remembered. "Isn't there another one? There's supposed to be two Sekirei for every Ashikabi so who's the next one?"

"Her name is Angela, number 102, and I don't know her power. She's the type that easily blends into the background, so I never really thought about her. But, I can see where you're coming from. If she has any remembrance of that night, she'll want to do the exact same thing as me and try to join the strongest group." Larkin thought about it for a few moments.

"Of course she'll remember that night. It was the night her Ashikabi died. Who would forget that?" I snorted. "So, if we add you, and we assume we're adding Angela as well, then our group of one will change to four real fast." I groaned and flopped onto my back.

"It's okay, Shika, it means that we're even closer to winning. You know the saying, the more the merrier." Jacob tried to soothe me.

"He's right, Chika-chan, you shouldn't be so dramatic. It's only three more people." Larkin chuckled.

"Speaking of which, I barely had room for two, so where in the world am I going to whip out room for three more?" I lifted my head to raise an eyebrow at Larkin.

"I don't have a house." Larkin shrugged. "I chilled in the headquarters until I could talk to the Game Master."

"We can always just move to my house, well, my parent's house. We've got several guest bedrooms to spare. If I just apologize to them for running off and explain that you guys gave me a place to stay, they should let you right in." Jacob smiled reassuringly to us.

"Then, it's settled. We'll go and look for Angela and Pandora after I move my few things into Jacob's house and we get settled. The faster we find my partner and Larkin's, that faster we can go after Pandora." I said, laying my head back down on the floor.

Jacob scooted to lie next to me and Larkin followed suit. We lay there and stared at the ceiling knowing this would be one of the few times we would get peace and quiet. I made yet another bubble around us, praying that nobody destroyed it heartlessly. I took a deep breath and released it. Larkin and Jacob did the same thing. I began thinking of what I wanted for lunch and dinner. What I would wear for the day, what I would do on top of moving into Jacob's home. Then, I heard the most annoying sound ever. A knock on the door. I glared at it hatefully and groaned. Jacob chuckled.

"We'll both be here when you get back, so go answer it."

"I don't know. The last time I did, I got stuck with that," I gestured my head towards Larkin. Jacob chuckled and Larkin pouted.

"Go get it. It'll be fine."

Only idiots busted my bubble.

Or only Larkin.

But as I opened the door and saw another person I didn't really want to meet yet, I added another to the list.

Only idiots, Larkin, and Sekirei with glasses that were far too interested in me on that one night.

**(LINE)**

**Well, I know this isn't much, but I tried as hard as I could. And, as much as y'all hate it, I left it at a cliffhanger. MWHAHAHAHAHA! On a happier note, I can finally say that there won't be a ton more interruptions in my process. There may be a few, but I'll work past it, I promise! So, please, save your masks for next time!**

**-Confident**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, my wonderful friends! It's sooooooo good to be back! I've decided to change my short-chapter-writing ways and try to type longer chapters from now on. So, without further ado, come take off your masks and join those who love literature… **

**_Disclaimer: Just in case you haven't noticed by now, I don't own Sekirei. _**

**(LINE) **

"Hello, Miss Shika. I'm glad I could finally then meet again, though I must say, it was rather difficult." Mitch smiled business-like and I inwardly shuddered.

"That was the point Mitch." I smiled back with the freezing chill of an iceberg. Wait, 'again'? What does he mean by again? Whatever he was doing here wasn't going to be good, and what he meant by 'again' would be twice as bad. Mitch seemed amused by my answer.

"Well, how about we talk over some tea? It would be good pick up from where we left off." His tone of voice suddenly made me regret no configuring my appearance before hand. I closed the door slightly and covered the crack with my body, sending a clear message to stay out of my house. He kept referencing a past meeting he shouldn't even remember, and that, honestly, freaked me out.

"I already have company over and it would be a real shame," I purposefully said sarcastically, hoping a certain Sekirei inside would hear, "to send them home. But, next time, I promise."

"Miss Shika, I know you have an Ashikabi and that idiot Sekirei number 107 in your house at this moment. So, for the safety of them, let me-"

"Mitch?! Mitch?! Where'd you run off to?! Mitch?!" A boy with golden hair and worried brown eyes came dashing through the street behind us, calling out for his missing 'friend'. He turned his head and stared at us intently. His shocked face quickly split into a wide grin. "Mitch!"

"Oh, god." Mitch grumbled with a murderous glare in his eyes, not turning his head to look at the boy, but obviously knowing who it was. "He's not supposed to be here, concerning himself in these affairs." He looked at me pleadingly. "If you save hi-me from this, I promise I'll leave you be after our talk. Just save me!" He whispered. I shook my head with a groan and morphed my looks. Why am I doing this? My purple hair shifted to luscious auburn waves around my shoulders, my eyes turned a seductive green, and my flat and straight body was curved with a large chest and round bottom. The young boy bounded up to stand next to Mitch.

"Hey, Mitch, why'd you run off? All I was gonna ask was if you had a special-" The boy's eyes caught mine and seemed to answer his own unfinished question. "Oh, h-hello, Miss. I-I-I…" He trailed off. I smirked, trying to act as the snobbish and confident woman who was almost as egotistical as a man. I was about to make some snide comment to play up the act when I saw it in his eyes.

Though the boy's face was young and innocent, his eyes were everything but. I could see the fire in his calm brown eyes. The pure and untainted statement I would give anybody who dared to touch Jacob. 'Get away, you little slut'. I could barely contain the grin that tugged on my lips. The situation was almost too good to be true. Mitch, number 99, scythe-wielder, Mr. Calm-Cool-and-Collected, was a Sekirei that had an easy-going, outrageous, and out-spoken Ashikabi that obviously adored Mitch with his very soul. But, Mitch didn't seem to acknowledge this connection, because if Mitch had been winged, I would've sensed him at my door. The reason I didn't want to be winged was because the second you were, you were put on the radar, you gave a small little shockwave or ripple in the calm of a Sekirei's senses to let everyone know you were in the game and an open target. So, here's Mitch with a completely loyal Ashikabi and without wings. And they were exact opposites, with the exception of gender.

"Mitch? Who is this little cutie?" I purred and opened my door wider to lean against the door frame. Mitch shot me a very deadly look before glancing at the boy with almost the exact same look.

"Shika, this is Yugi, my aquaintan-"

"Best friend for life! No need to hide anything from her, Mitchy-kins." Yugi stepped closer to Mitch and slipped a hand around his shoulder. Mitch glared at Yugi with hatred as his breathing shuddered and his cheeks flushed.

"Okay," Mitch tried to slip out of Yugi's grasp, but Yugi only gripped tighter. "Shika, this is Yugi, my friend. Yugi, this is Shika, a…" Mitch seemed at a loss for an explanation and I couldn't blame him. When I was at least a hundred feet away from my Ashikabi before, I could barely think coherently or walk. Being as close at Yugi was to Mitch, it had to be almost impossible to create a simple sentence.

"Oh, come here, Mitch, no need to hide anything from him." I smiled and yanked Mitch away from Yugi to give him a tight hug, slipping my hands around his neck to pull him tighter. I could hear Mitch regain control of his breathing and cool his body. He murmured a soft thanks in my ear before pulling away. "We've been good friends since-what- that night, right Mitch?"

Mitch cleared his throat quickly. "Uh, yes, that night. It was a while ago, wasn't it?"

"I don't even remember how long ago." I answered with a grin. I glanced back at Yugi to seem him practically seething from his calm position.

"Well, me and Mitch have known each other since-" Yugi started but Mitch stepped forward to grip his shoulders. Mitch hunched over so that his eyes were leveled with Yugi's and effectively shut him up with the look he was giving him.

"Yugi, I told you at the burger place," I snorted. Mitch eating a burger. It seemed almost comical. "to stay there because I was going to be going somewhere very dangerous. You should've stayed put, like I told you. I would've been back in twenty minutes."

"I can see what you mean by dangerous," Yugi sneaked a glance at me with a slight glare before looking back at Mitch. "But, I had to make sure you were okay. I couldn't just let you go somewhere that you, Mitch, Mr. Nothing-Scares-Or-Worries-Me, said was dangerous. And what did you think? That I was actually going to listen to you for the first time ever and stay in that place? C'mon, Mitch, I know you're smarter than that." Yugi leaned forward to place his forehead against Mitch's. "I was worried about you."

Mitch ripped away from Yugi and looked down that the boy with brown hair and eyes with as much hatred as he could muster. I could see the hurt in Yugi's eyes and the pain it did to Mitch. But, Mitch kept his cool and looked at Yugi as icily as he did to Larkin. "You shouldn't be, Yugi. You shouldn't even want to be near me. I'll only get you shoved down a path you would never want to follow." His eyes softened slightly and it almost seemed that he would cry. "I'll only hurt you in the end, Yugi." With that, he ran away from my apartment, away from me, away from Yugi, away from the one thing he wanted so bad he could've killed for. Yugi looked after him with a crushed look and I could see tears running down his cheeks.

"B-But, Mitch, I-I-I love you." He mumbled feebly. He started sobbing like a child and wiping away the tears with the heels of his palms. I walked forward and wrapped him in a hug, hoping to ease him out of his sadness. He leaned into my and snuggled his head into my shoulder. I ran my fingers through his soft hair and wrapped the other around his waist. I slowly coaxed him inside my apartment and closed the door behind us quietly. I walked into the living room with Yugi still in my arms.

"Hey, Chika-chan, when are me and Jacob here gonna get to the lip-lockin'?" Larkin asked without turning to face me. When I didn't answer he looked over his shoulders to look at my morphed body and the crying boy in my arms. "Who's the whiny child and why do you look like that?"

"Like what?" Jacob asked curiously as he stood up from his place across from Larkin. He walked closer and pulled Yugi off me and into his own chest. He walked back to where he was and sat down with Yugi's head in his lap and Yugi's body curled up in the fetal position.

"You wouldn't understand, Jacob, and Yugi isn't a whiny child. He was just told by the person he liked that he shouldn't stay near them." I walked into the kitchen and got a glass of milk and a plate of cookies. I walked back into the living room and sat them down next to Yugi and sat down next to Jacob, facing Larkin.

"That's odd. He's a real cutie, I mean, when he's not, you know, crying his eyes out."

"It gets weirder." Larkin raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "You remember that Sekirei Mitch?"

"That really cool scythe-wielder? Heck yeah remember him!"

"Well, that's who Yugi here liked." I nodded my head at Yugi who was silently sitting up to drink the milk. His puffy brown eyes and red nose seemed all too puppy-like. As if his owner just sent him to sleep out in the streets for the night. Jacob kept a comforting grip on Yugi's waist as Yugi drank and ate, making sure that the young boy wouldn't collapse or do anything rash.

"Weird, but they are almost exact opposites and Yugi doesn't seem to be his type exactly." Larkin whispered the last part quietly, proving that he did have a heart and did care about other people's feelings.

"And Yugi is Mitch's you-know-what, if you get what I'm saying." I spoke just as quietly, but Larkin heard loud and clear.

"What?! How is that even possible?! It has to be literally killing him inside to be near and far away from his you-know-what! I can't even comprehend the pain he's going through right now!" Larkin shouted as he flinched back, as if physically burned by my words.

"M-Mitch i-is in p-pain b-b-because of m-me? I've got to go find him a-a-and a-apologize." Yugi stood up shakily, Jacob following with his grip still on Yugi's waist.

"No, Yugi, finding him won't help. You need to let him sort it out himself." I tried reasoning as I stood up and gripped his hands. "Mitch needs to be on his own right now."

"N-No! I need to go tell him I'm sorry and that I love him a-an-an-and that I hope he d-doesn't h-h-h-hate me." Yugi started to cry and we all jumped into action.

"Let's just help him find Mitch, Shika. We'd be helping them out, in the long run, and we've got nothing better to do at this moment." Jacob reasoned as he stepped closer to Yugi and wrapped his arm around Yugi's shoulder. It was as if Yugi had become some sort of baby that we all had to take turns caring for and we all had to make sure stayed happy.

"Yeah, Chika-chan. Let's help the poor thing out. Mitch couldn't have gotten too far away. We could go get him and bring him back while Jacob calmed down Yugi." Larkin looked at me seriously as he continuously glanced at Yugi worriedly. I looked at Jacob who nodded.

"I'll take good care of him until you guys come back, promise."

"Yugi? Do you want to stay here while me and Larkin go get Mitch for you?" I asked and squeezed on his hands. He full blown sobbed, but nodded anyways as he turned to snuggle into Jacob's chest. "Alright, we'll bring him back, Yugi. I promise." I turned to Larkin and he smirked.

"Let's go catch us a scythe-wielder, Chika-chan."

We quickly ran out the door and headed through the streets to find the hopeless Sekirei that seemed to have run much farther away than we had expected

**(LINE)**

**Well, I hope this was long enough. I feel that this had nothing to do with the story…..Or does it?! I guess you'll just have to find out next week! And with that hopefully mind-racking cliffhanger, I'll bid you ado. Save your masks until next time!**

**-Confident**


	10. Chapter 10

**ELLO! I'm sorry I'm late, but it's only because school has been a pain and I ****_really_**** procrastinated and soon, two weeks had passed. But, I've finished this chapter and I hope you read the next on the next Sunday. So, without further ado, take off your masks and join those who love literature…**

**_Disclaimer: I really don't own Sekirei cause I really am not smart enough to make something like that up. Really._**

**(LINE)**

"Where'd he go?" Larkin grumbled as we dashed down streets and peeked down dark alleyways.

"I saw him run this way, so he couldn't have gotten too far in ten minutes. We should see him any second." I shrugged and looked down another alley that was pitch black at the end and smelled awful. I heard Larkin stumble slightly and mumble something that I assumed was a joke about how clumsy he was or how his feet had a mind of their own. I ignored it and continued to scan the street for any run away Sekirei. Out of the corner of my eye, Larkin trotted to a stop and turned down the alley I'd just checked without any explanation. "Larkin? What are you doing? We've got to find Mitch for Yugi. Larkin?"

I walked down the alley cautiously, my hand itching towards one of my many hidden knives. The shadows darkened every corner of the alley and garbage littered its sides. I continued down the alley, hoping that Larkin would appear again. It wasn't uncommon for him to get off task, but it was when he did it silently. My chest twisted and my heart pumped faster with every step I took. The alley only seemed to be darker at the end, almost consumed in the shadows. I swallowed loudly, clearing my mouth, ready to scream if bad came to worse. I saw the slightest outline of a figure in the pitch darkness, despite it being about mid-day, and inwardly I shuddered at the cold breeze through my bones. The figure crept closer and closer to my now frozen body. It prowled closer with the ease of a predator and the intimidation of a cold-blooded killer. I blinked once to clear the tears of fear in my eyes and suddenly, the figure was gone. My heart slowly calmed down, but my nerves refused to be pacified by the missing presence. I calmed my breathing and walked into the darkness, no longer afraid like before. The figure was nowhere in sight and, though that appeased my mind, it left my body frazzled and cautious. Soon enough, I calmed down and began calmly scanning the alleyway, any danger seemingly gone. I shrugged after searching for a minute and seeing neither the figure nor the 107th Sekirei I in here for in the first place.

"Oh well." I sighed and turned on my heel, completely okay with continuing on without Larkin. The second I turned, I came face to face with gleaming blue eyes that were oh-so-frustratingly familiar.

"Boo." Larkin said calmly, but amusement was in his eyes.

"Larkin, you jerk!" I screeched and yanked back, heart thundering again.

"Hey, Chika-chan~! How's it going? Wait, why're you in here?" He asked brightly, a grin on his face too triumphant and smug for my liking.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine now that I'm over my heart attack, 'Larkin-kun'," I mimicked his voice and glared at him "And I was in here because my stupid 'friend' wandered off into the depths of a dark alley way without any explanation! So, 'Larkin-kun', tell me, why were you down here?

I saw his bright gaze flicker to a dark blue as he thought of something deeply. But, he recovered himself and grinned even wider than before . "I came down here to scare Chika-chan, of course!" I stared at him for a few more moments before turning and stalking out of the alley and back into the light.

"Well, let's get going. We need to find Mitch before the sunsets or we'll never see him again." I looked down the streets again to see if Mitch was wandering around, with no avail.

"You don't believe me, do you, Chika-chan?" Larkin mumbled with bland amusement.

"Do I have to? Whatever went on in there, Larkin, is something between you, yourself, and…..whatever else. So, let's find Mitch and leave this subject alone, okay?" I huffed out a breathe and nodded my head towards the left route of the street. "He would've gone that way. It heads straight to a park that leads into almost the whole city. The best place to camp out is there. An easy in and out place with routes almost untraceable."

"Sounds fun." Larkin grinned, back to his normal self. Sometimes he's almost too much for even me, I mused in my head while giving him a side-long glance.

"It's not when it's pitch black outside, so let's get moving." I began racing down the street, Larkin on my heels.

We searched high and low all the way to the park. We were out of breathe and tired by the time the moon hung over our heads. I continued to call out to Mitch, though my throat was scratchy and my lungs couldn't collect enough air. Larkin slowly began to lag behind and sometimes stop all together. I would have to drag him for a few moments before he gained his senses and began to run again. The mission was slowing down. And that was a big no-no in my book.

"Chika-chan~!" Larkin whined for the 100th time that night. I took a deep breathes and turned to face him.

"What, Larkin?"

"I'm tired~! Can we go home?"

"Of course we can," Larkin's face brightened at my answer, but I continued, "So long as you want to go home empty handed and tell Yugi that we had to stop trying to find the love of his life because your feet hurt." Larkin's eyes feel to the ground in embarrassment. "That's what I thought. Now, come on, we've got to find Mitch."

"You should stop trying," Me and Larkin whipped around our heads to see Mitch standing in a dark patch by the tree line. His eyes were puffy and red and he seemed more worn out than us.

"Mitch, come with us. Yugi is in a terrible state because you're gone and he's blaming himself for all this." I took a step forward and Mitch inched back.

"I-I knew he would. I knew he'd find some way to beat himself up about all of this." Mitch mumbled to himself before looking up at me and Larkin intensely. "Tell him I apologize and wish him no pain and guilt because of me. Please, tell him that."

"Come with us and you can tell him yourself," Larkin reasoned lightly. He stepped forward but Mitch jumped back as if he was burned.

"Y-Y-You don't understand! I can't do _this_ to him!" Mitch gestured around him. "I-I can't bring him into the game! I refuse to!"

"But, don't you care for Yugi?" I asked, trying a different tactic.

"With all my heart and soul, I love Yugi. And that's exactly why I won't bring him into this petty game!"

"You can still be near him, Mitch! You don't have to be winged by him or shut him out of your life! There IS a happy medium, Mitch!"

"But, why would I take that risk?! Why would I even allow the small chance of him winging me?! Why would I put him in danger just to satisfy my silly desires?!"

"Because you know that Yugi wants the same thing!" I yelled at him. Everything fell silent.

"What?" Mitch was dumbfounded.

"You can't possibly be _that_ dense, Mitch! Yugi wants to be near you just as much as you do him! If Yugi didn't want to be by your side, he would be at his house, doing homework or getting ready for bed. If Yugi didn't care about you, he would've been sleeping like a baby and chuckling about how stupid he was to hang out with you. But, instead, he's in my house, on the verge of a mental breakdown, all because you told him to stay away." Mitch blinked his eyes rapidly, still comprehending my words. "Now, you're gonna come with us back to my house and we're gonna smooth things over with Yugi."

_That_ got him out of his confusion. He stood straighter and reached up to his black, boxy glasses. His fingertips gripped the black edge firmly. "I'm afraid I can't allow that, Miss Shika." He whipped off his glasses and held the elegant scythe in his hand. "Miss Shika, I refuse to see Yugi ever-" His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell backwards, his scythe returning to its glasses form.

I walked up to him and pulled my needle laced with a sleeping poison out of his neck. Larkin laughed loudly from behind. I leaned over Mitch and smiled politely. "Please, Mitch, no need for informalities. Call me Shika."

After I had heaved Mitch onto Larkin's back and cleaned my needle, we ran home as fast as possible. We dashed down the streets, no longer tired, and ran up to my door. I pounded loudly on the wood, Larkin and I gasping for air. I sighed with relief when Jacob opened the door. He smiled widely at me and I felt the tension I didn't know I had release.

"Hey there, Shika. How's it going?" Jacob asked, chuckling.

"Oh, you know, tracking down a Sekirei, watching over his Ashikabi, same old, same old." I answered with a smile in between gasps of air. Jacob opened his mouth to make a snappy comment, but Larkin butt in quickly.

"Look, this is adorable and all, but I have an unconscious person on my back that is getting _really _heavy, so could we just let me in?"

I gave Larkin a quick glare before smiling at Jacob. "Let's let the pack mule in before he starts begging."

Jacob chuckled and moved to the side to let us in. Larkin quickly stalked in, pausing slightly to give Jacob a peck on the cheek. I growled audibly and moved to grab one of my hidden daggers, but I took a few deep breathes and relaxed. _I'm gonna kill him one of these days,_ I grumbled in my head before smiling at Jacob and slipping into my house. I quickly remembered Yugi and switched my appearance to the seductress once again.

"Oh, my god!" I heard a screech and ran into my house to investigate. I saw everything in order, everything clean and organized. But, in the middle of all of the normal was Yugi with Mitch's unconscious head in his lap. "I-Is he DEAD?!" Yugi screeched out again. I couldn't help buy laugh.

"No, no, I'm not that careless. He's just unconscious. He'll wake up very shortly, Yugi. No need to worry."

"Oh, good." Yugi sighed with relief and let out a slightly hysterical laugh.

"Though he was practically on the brink of fighting to the death when we got him. If Shika hadn't taken care of him, he might not be here in a single piece."

"He would've rather died than come here?" Yugi whispered, crestfallen at finding out how badly Mitch wanted to stay away.

I glanced at Larkin and Jacob and a silent agreement passed through us. Yugi shouldn't have to suffer any longer. He needed to know what was going on. I stepped up to Yugi and sat down. Larkin and Jacob followed suit. "Yugi, if Mitch turned out to be some kind of mass-killer alien that could possibly destroy the world, would you till love him?"

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Yugi asked, surprised by my out of the blue question.

"Well, the point of the question is that if Mitch wasn't what you thought he was, would you always be by his side?" I asked seriously.

"Of course, still, what does that have to do with anything?" Yugi was thoroughly confused now.

"Mitch didn't want you to get caught up in what he is and what he's meant to do, because it's not the best thing for a human. It's not something he wanted you in."

"What are you talking about?" Yugi furrowed his brow.

"Mitch, Larkin, and I aren't exactly human." Larkin snorted at the cheesy line and I glared at him. "If you can do any better, than be my guest!"

"Well, it _is_ my job, Chika-chan. I think I'll do just fine." Larkin scooted closer to Yugi as I moved back. "Now, Yugi, what do you know about aliens?"

"Uh, they're green?"

Larkin snorted, "Not exactly, well, not us. You see, one day, a long time ago, a man founded an island filled with 108 aliens that looked just like humans, if not better." Larkin chuckled. "Those were the first batch for The Plan. The Sekirei Plan."

"So, they're…" Yugi pointed to Larkin hesitantly, as if Larkin would be offended.

"Oh, no, they weren't us. We're the second batch, The Second Sekirei Plan. But, you've got the right idea."

"Wait, what _is_ 'The Plan'." Yugi are-quoted 'The Plan' and we all laughed.

"It's a game created by the man who found the first batch, the first Game Master. He decided to alter the Sekirei, the first batch, so that they reacted to a certain person, their Ashikabi. And, when kissed by their Ashikabi, the Sekirei is 'winged' or marked. Then they fight other Sekirei until there is only one left and they get to take their Ashikabi to the Higher Skies Above."

"So…" Yugi cut in but trailed off, glancing at Larkin, Jacob, and, trying to piece it all together. Larkin chuckled.

"Jacob is Chika-chan's Ashikabi. I'm here because…Well, it's a long story, but let's just say Jacob is my temporary Ashikabi."

"And…What about Mitch? Whose his Ashikabi?" Yugi asked with sadness and jealousy.

"Well, that's why he didn't want to tell you about his life." Larkin gave a small smile.

"He just wanted you to have a normal life, not one like ours or his. He wanted you to be happy without all…" I gestured around me vaguely.

"Who. Is. His. Ashikabi?" Yugi had fire blaring in his brown eyes.

"Y-Y-You, Yugi. _You're_ Mitch's Ashikabi. The one he's destined to be with is you." I stammered, surprised by Yugi's anger. He didn't seem like the small, cute little kid from a second ago.

"M-Me? Why didn't he just tell me so? Why did he hide it?" Yugi looked down at Mitch with love in his eyes and a blush on his cheeks.

"Well he obviously didn't expect you to be taking it so well like you are now." Larkin answered. "Which I must say is quite well. Why aren't you screaming that we're crazy people or are just walking out of here in total disbelief?"

"Well, when I was a young boy, my mother had always told me of a different race of humans, or, you know, aliens. She would tell me about the great connection that they shared with us and that they all played a very big role in the world's future. She would tell me wild stories of the one she connected with and how great their time together was. But, she would always get very sad at the end of the stories and when I asked her why she would answer that the special human was no longer near her anymore and she really missed them." Yugi was quiet for a long moment, staring at Mitch and running his fingers through Mitch's hair gently. "So, is that what's gonna happen to me when I wing Mitch? Will he leave?"

"Well, yes and no. There is the possibility that he will lose a battle and be remarked by the winning Ashikabi and leave, but he won't die. The new Game Master changed the rules to ensure that no Sekirei would die in this game. But, as long as you don't wing Mitch, he'll act the same as before, not wanting to get too close, but not drifting too far away. If you wanted to risk Mitch's companionship and the possibility of never seeing him again, then wing him, or you can just leave things they were before and not wing him." Larkin reasoned and we watched Yugi's shoulders relax and tense up and relax again. He mumbled something too soft for us to hear, and we all leaned in closer to hear. "Come again, Yugi. Can't say that I caught all of that." Yugi looked up at us with determination and hope in his eyes.

"I said, what if I let Jacob wing Mitch?"

**(LINE)**

**What does Yugi mean by 'let Jacob wing Mitch'? Probably exactly what he said, but the question was meant to add suspense, so just let it be rhetorical. I promise to try and be better at keeping on track, especially once Summer starts up. So save your masks for next week!**

**-Confident**


End file.
